“Government is actually the worst failure of civilized man. There has never been a really good one, and even those that are most tolerable are arbitrary, cruel, grasping and unintelligent.”
Cite this quote
APA
Mencken, H. L. (n.d.). Government is actually the worst failure of civilized man. There has never been a really good one, and even those that are most tolerable are arbitrary, cruel, grasping and unintelligent. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/20309-government-is-actually-the-worst-failure-of-civilized/
MLA
Mencken, H. L. “Government is actually the worst failure of civilized man. There has never been a really good one, and even those that are most tolerable are arbitrary, cruel, grasping and unintelligent.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/20309-government-is-actually-the-worst-failure-of-civilized/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.
Chicago
Mencken, H. L. “Government is actually the worst failure of civilized man. There has never been a really good one, and even those that are most tolerable are arbitrary, cruel, grasping and unintelligent.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/20309-government-is-actually-the-worst-failure-of-civilized/.